Focus Factor Vs Prevagen

Focus Factor Vs Prevagen featured image
alex writer

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Written by Alex Whybrow – fact checked by Jason M & the editorial team

Alex is a full time writer. He is a creative soul who loves to express himself through his written word. When focus or concentration becomes an issue he turns to nootropics. Aside from the world of nootropic supplementation and writing, Alex is a huge fan of coffee and can regularly be found consuming it and writing about it.

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As we get older it is normal for our brains to show signs of aging. Typically, this will show itself in the form of memory lapses, finding it harder to focus and just an all-round decline in cognitive performance.

If you feel you are experiencing a decline in your brain’s performance then you may well have considered combating this through supplementation – namely, supplementing with nootropics.

Two fairly popular options are Focus Factor and Prevagen – and with many people undecided between the two when choosing the best option for them we thought we’d pit them against each other in this Focus Factor Vs Prevagen article.

Both Prevagen and Focus Factor have slightly different remits and will therefore have somewhat differing effects on you, so making the right choice is important depending on your exact needs. We will be looking at the similarities, the differences and exactly what you should expect to achieve as a result of their ingredient profiles – we shall also examine potential alternatives if we feel they are not up to scratch.

About Focus Factor & Prevagen

Focus Factor is what we might consider to be ‘more of a true nootropic’. That’s because it doesn’t just focus on one area of cognitive functioning and has a whole host of natural ingredients to support the claims made by the US based company. The original formula (which is what we shall be predominantly focusing on today) aims to improve memory functions, concentration and focus. It also has a whole host of other ingredients that we will discuss shortly that make it a great multivitamin too.

Prevagen is a supplement developed by Quincy Bioscience and builds upon decades of research in to one of its prime ingredients, apoaequorin – which is an ingredient found in jellyfish that causes them to glow in the dark. What followed was a number of clinical studies that found apoaequorin could have a positive impact in terms of improving brain health. Quincy Bioscience have also conducted their own testing and have concluded that their Prevagen supplement (that contains apoaequorin) also improves cognitive function.

Prevagen has more of a focus on improving memory recall for those who are suffering from mild memory loss. This is predominantly for the over 55’s but it can it is stated that it can be useful for anyone over the age of 40. The only additional active ingredient to apoaequorin is Vitamin D, so this is far less of a wide ranging multi-vitamin supplement – so you can see already that comparing Focus Factor to Prevagen is not a necessarily straightforward task.

Prevagen Vs Focus Factor – Quick Comparison

#Focus FactorPrevagen
No. of Active
Ingredients
232
Cost$0.51-$1.02 per day*$1.33 per day
Dose Per Day4-81
Nootropic FocusMemory, Concentration, Focus, MoodMemory (recall)
App AvailableYesNo
Clinically BackedYes, some ingredients are clinically supportYes, but only by the company’s own study
*On highest bulk purchase

Focus Factor In Detail

focus factor bottles

Focus Factor comes in pill format for the standard supplement, but they also offer drinks, shots and gummies as part of their full range. Their original supplement is available in a range of tub sizes and bundle sizes, with the cheapest per serving option being the 6 bottle (180 pills per bottle) selection. Their relatively affordable 3 pack is currently available for just under $75 and those that subscribe can benefit from a further 10% reduction.

This makes Focus Factor pretty affordable as a 3 bottle package should last around four and a half months with the standard serving size of 4 capsules per day.

That is quite a lot of capsules and Focus Factor even go on to state that you can up this to 8 per day if you feel the need (based on dietary needs, weight, feelings of being stressed etc).

Each serving of Focus Factor contains 24 vitamins and minerals (which all have their quantities displayed) in addition to their Proprietary Ingredients Blend that contains most of the active nootropic ingredients. It’s a huge shame that Focus Factor have decided not to share the exact quantities of these ingredients with us and this makes it incredibly difficult to understand the overall quality of their supplement. What we do know is that the proprietary blend measures in at 640mg and among other ingredients contains the following:

  • Dimethylaminoethanol
  • L-glutamine
  • ​Bacopa monnieri​ extrac
  • L-pyroglutamic acid
  • Phosphatidylserine
  • Docosahexaenoic acid concentrate
  • Inositol
  • N-acetyl tyrosine
  • Bilberry fruit standardized extract
  • Huperzine A
  • Boron

Some of these are excellent additions to the mix – for more information on them read our best nootropics article where we go in to detail on ingredients with nootropic benefits, but – it is hard to get past the fact that we do not know the quantities involved.

What you are getting with Focus Factor though is pretty impressive list of vitamins and minerals that are only going to enhance your overall nutritional intake. Of course, you should continue to eat a healthy and balanced diet for the benefit of your physical and cognitive health, but it does feel like you get a lot more out of Focus Factor than you do with Prevagen.

Prevagen In Detail

Prevagen packaging

As we have mentioned, Prevagen has a single key ingredient that is then supported by Vitamin D. It’s a little surprising that Quincy Bioscience stopped at just the one additional vitamin, and it might have been a good idea to include the likes of Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, E as well as minerals such as Zinc, Magnesium and Chromium as we see in Focus Factor.

This means that Prevagen’s efficacy as a nootropic that is specifically targeting mild age-related memory loss comes down to their one key ingredient – apoaequorin, with 10mg of it included in each serving.

There are studies there to support its use in bringing about an improvement in recall, but even in some of these studies there were improvements to be seen in those being tested with the placebo. The placebo group did not show as much improvement as those using Prevagen but there was still an improvement all the same.

Focus Factor Vs Prevagen Similarities

When looking at Focus Factor Vs. Prevagen, the reality is that there are not too many similarities between them. They don’t really claim to target the exact same cognitive benefits and those that they do are targeted using completely different ingredients.

There are some similarities between Prevagen and Focus Factor though and these include:

  • Both are found in capsule form but also have chewable gummy options
  • Both have standard strength and increased strength options
  • Both contain Vitamin D although Prevagen has it in a much higher dosage – 20 times more to be precise
  • Both supplements should improve memory functioning to some level
  • Both supplements are clinically backed (to an extent)
  • Both can be bought direct from the manufacturer website

Focus Factor Vs Prevagen Key Differences

It’s fair to say there are more differences when comparing Prevagen and Focus Factor.

Let’s take a look at some of the most profound differences:

  • Focus Factor has more of an all-round nootropic focus with the aim of improving memory, concentration, focus and mood whereas Prevagen simply focuses on memory
  • Focus Factor could be seen as having more appeal to those who want a boost to their cognitive functions whereas Prevagen is best taken by those already experiencing mild memory decline
  • Focus Factor using natural ingredients that we are used to seeing as having nootropic qualities whereas Prevagen relies solely on apoaequorin for its nootropic benefits
  • Focus Factor includes a proprietary blend whereas Prevagen list every ingredient with the full dose
  • Focus Factor requires you to take 4-8 capsules per day but Prevagen is simply one each morning
  • Focus Factor has a wide range of multivitamins and minerals that will have wide ranging benefits in addition to cognitive improvement

Who Is Focus Factor & Prevagen Best Suited To?

If we take the claimed benefits of both of these supplements at face value then it is fair to say that Prevagen has more of a niche target market than Focus Factor. Prevagen is very much aimed at those who are already suffering a mild age-related degree of memory loss. In contrast, Focus Factor claims that its supplement can boost memory, focus and concentration in those who are not yet suffering a noticeable decline as well as those who are.

In addition, anyone who is looking for an all-round health boosting multivitamin supplement will benefit from Focus Factor.

The big question remains though. Just how good are these two supplements in terms of being effective nootropics and do they stack up against our top rated nootropics?

Focus Factor & Prevagen In Real World Use

We had members of our writing and publishing teams test both these supplements for 1 month. The results for Prevagen were the least conclusive and we found little to no impact on memory or recall in our limited testing. We should also point out that we only tested for 1 month, but there were almost zero noticeable differences seen by our tester.

Focus Factor fared slightly better with a slight improvement in recall and a noticeable anecdotal improvement in focus and concentration levels – however, even in Focus Factor’s own testing there was an improvement recorded in both the test and placebo group so a placebo-like effect could have been at play here.

There is no doubt that there is more scientific support for Focus Factor than Prevagen due to the ingredients being used – and we certainly prefer the mix of ingredients found in Focus Factor. The issue is that it is hard to see past the proprietary blend. As the nootropic blend is the reason most people will buy this supplement it is amazing that they have not given us all the dosages for these ingredients and hide them behind the proprietary blend.

In addition to this, both companies have had their own legal and advertising issues with Prevagen having been charged by the FDA and the FTC for making unsubstantiated claims. Focus Factor have also had a consumer report warning brought against them for making claims that they do not have sufficient evidence to support them.

Alternatives To Focus Factor & Prevagen

It really is hard to recommend these two supplements as true nootropics and although there are likely some good benefits to Focus Factor, the evidence to support Prevagen is hard to get behind. There have been no other full studies in to the efficacy of Prevagen other than the one study by the company themselves. The lack of knowing exactly how much of what nootropic supporting ingredients are in Focus Factor also makes it difficult to recommend.

For anyone seeking well researched and clinically supported nootropics then our recommendation would be with NooCube. Not only does it have a who’s who of natural ingredients that are clinically backed in supporting healthy brain functioning, there are hundreds of user testimonies to support it.

When bought in 6 month supplies it works out to be very competitive cost wise against both Focus Factor and Prevagen and is a nootropic that we know well, having tested it extensively, with members of team using it on an ongoing basis.

If you really want to opt for one of Focus Factor or Prevagen then we’d suggest Focus Factor and to try and give it at least 1-3 months before deciding if it is right for you.

Verdict

Choosing any supplement is a difficult choice, especially one that you are likely going to need to commit at least 3 months to trying to see it truly works for you. So when that choice is between Focus Factor and Prevagen it really is our feeling that suggesting an alternative such as NooCube is the best course of action. There just isn’t enough data or even customer testimony to support us recommending either.

If you are dead set on choosing one of these then we would go with Focus Factor. But a good multi-vitamin could likely elicit similar results.

For those who really want a nootropic that is designed to make a maximum impact using just natural ingredients then we would go with NooCube – take a minimum 3-6 month supply and judge for yourself how you feel 1-2 months in – the chances are you will feel a radical cognitive improvement.

alex writer

This article was written by: Alex Whybrow – Full Time Writer, Coffee Connoisseur & Nootropic Fan

Alex spends a lot of his time writing. He is a creative soul who loves to express himself through his written word. When focus or concentration becomes an issue he turns to nootropics. Aside from the world of nootropic supplementation and writing, Alex is a huge fan of coffee and can regularly be found consuming it and writing about it.